Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

his feet awk- lips to protest. I know. You Every Tuesday ever had, even if you are in love witli her." Duke again shuffled wardly, and opened his Buck cut in: "Don't deny it, Duke see " A horse whinnied in tiic corral below, nnd he stopped speaking abruptly, every nerve tense. "What was that?" "Nothin'," Duke replied, going over to the window. "One of the annals gettin' restless, that's all." "■ "Go and look round for me, Duke," Raid Buck, looking over his shoulder. " If anyone thinks I'm here, say I'm not—see? Say you haven't seen me." "Okay, Buck," replied Duke, and went out. Buck waited until the door shut behind him; then, putting his finger to his lips so that Betty would keep quiet, he softly opened it again and listened. He stood there, motionless, for a minute or two before turning back to her. "Listen, Betty," he said quickly. "I can't stay here with you much longer, an' there's somctliin' I want to say to you before I go." "What is it?" she a.skod eagerly. " Will you trust in me and believe in mo until everything's cleared up?" "You know I will. Buck," she replied. Then a puzzled expression came over her face. "But, Buck, the boys say you're the Cheyenne Kid, an' " "It's no use," he cut in, "I can't explain now. Just forget it until I come back." They were interrupted by the distant pounding of hoofs. Buck rushed to the window and looked out. There, far down the trail that led fi'om Twin Falls, was a posse approach- ing, and in spite of tlie distance Buck easily recognised Utah Kane and the sheriff leading. He turned back to Betty quickly. "I must bo goin' now," ho said. "They're after me. Good-bye, Betty. Don't forget what I said." Betty .stood before him, her face blanched of all colour, hesitating. Then she flung her arms round his neck, kissed him, and was gone. His six-gun was in his liand and in his eyes was a gleam that meant business. BOY'S CINEMA Buck 3tared after her, more dazed than if he had been thrown from a wild bronc. The noise of the clattering hoofs became more distinct in the seconds that followed, and he roused himself for action. With a light spring he gained the window-sill and dropped on to the sloping loof outside. The posse was close now, and an enormous report told him that the sheriff had loosed off with his shot-gun. Buck laughed as he vaulted to the ground and started running towards his horse. Then as a spurt of dust rose close to his feet he realised that he could never roach it. He wheeled about, run- ning hard for a thick expanse of bush a hundred yards to his right, and reached it amidst the whine of 'oullets all about him. He knew then that he was safe. Meanwhile, Kane, watching him vanish, made no move to follow him. Instead, he reached out his hand and laid it on the sheriff's bridle as the sheriff urged his bronc forward. "Go easy, sheriff, unless you want the top of your head blown off," he said easily. "You'll never find him in there, and he could turn you into cold meat from his hiding-place before you knew he was within yards." The sheriff checked his animal abruptly, grumbling into his beard the while. "Heck!" he said, disgruntled. "It's sure funny how I mis.sed that hombre ! And it's plumb hilarious that you did the same, ^fr. Utah Kane." Kane smiled enigmatically. "It was your fault, sheriff," he said. "You kept gettin' in my way." The sheriff snorted angrily. " Now that I come to remember, it was you that got in my way," he retorted. "Every time I tried to fire you rode across me. Well, he's afoot, anyway, an' that's something." At that moment Duke Porter appeared 17 out of Betty's house, and strode towards tliem. "Hey, Kane, how do I stand for that five thousand?" lie asked. "It was me that gave you the low-down." Kane looked at him Icvelly. "Darn good of you. Porter," he said shortly, "but we didn't get him, and the conditions of the reward are— captured, dead or alive. Besides, I didn't recognise your voice over the 'phone." He shot a glance at Betty's house. "Say, ain't you supposed to be a pal of Buck's ?" "I was, but I don't stand for murder from no one." "Is that so?" Kane's eyes shifted back to Duke thoughtfully. "Well, that's plumb law-abidin' of you, Mr. Porter ! I'll not forget it !" He wheeled his horso abruptly and rodo back to Twin Falls. At the Old Barn. BUCK was not seen for the remainder of that day, but Utah Kane did not seem to worry much. He occupied his time by sitting on the sheriff's veranda, chewing peanuts and gazing enigmatically into the distance. He seemed to have something amusing on his mind, but wliat it was even the sheriff' himself couldn't find out. The following morning he was astir early, and ate more peanuts until break- fast-time. He seemed to be waiting for something, but neither in action nor speech did he give the slightest hint of what it was. Nothing happened until just as ho was finishing his breakfast. Then on the crisp morning air was borne the sound of a distant shot. The sheriff, sitting on the other side of the table, slammed down his cup of coffee and got to his feet. " What was that ?" he said tensely. Pecember 26tb,